Cooking Oil and Grease Disposal

Never pour used cooking oil or grease down the sink or drain. Store cooled used oil in sealed, labelled containers and have a licensed waste-oil collector remove it for recycling. Fit and regularly clean a grease trap (grease arrestor) to stop fats, oils and grease reaching the sewer. Doing this prevents drain blockages, foul odours, pest attraction and trade-waste breaches. Confirm requirements with your local council and water authority. Key takeaways: Never pour oil, fat or grease down any sink, drain or toilet, even when hot or diluted with detergent.. Cool used cooking oil and store it in sealed, clearly labelled, food-grade containers away from heat and out of walkways.. Use a licensed waste-oil collector to remove used oil for recycling and keep the collection dockets as records.. A correctly sized, regularly serviced grease trap (grease arrestor) is usually a trade-waste condition for kitchens discharging FOG.. Poor grease management causes blocked drains, backflow, odours and pests, and can breach your trade-waste agreement.. Do and don't at a glance: Do, Don't. Cool oil, then store in sealed labelled food-grade containers — Pour hot or cold oil down any sink, drain or toilet. Use a licensed collector to recycle used oil — Tip oil into general waste, stormwater or the ground. Pump out the grease trap before it overfills — Let the trap fill and pass FOG to the sewer. Dry-wipe and scrape cookware before washing — Wash heavy grease and food solids straight into the drain. Keep dockets and pump-out records — Rely on enzymes or detergents to 'dissolve' grease unless approved. Why cooking oil and grease disposal matters Fats, oils and grease (often abbreviated to FOG) are liquid when hot but congeal as they cool. Poured down a sink they solidify inside pipes, trap food scraps and build up until the drain blocks. Blockages cause backflow of dirty water into your kitchen, offensive odours, and hygiene risks in a food-handling area. FOG that reaches the public sewer contributes to large blockages and overflows, which is why water authorities regulate it through trade-waste agreements. Beyond compliance, spilled and pooled grease attracts cockroaches, rodents and flies, creates slip hazards for staff, and can contaminate food-contact surfaces. Good oil and grease management is therefore part of your wider pest control, cleaning and waste responsibilities under the Food Standards Code, which requires premises to be kept clean and free of pests and waste to be managed so it does not contaminate food. Storing used cooking oil safely Once a fryer is switched off, let the oil cool before handling it. Hot oil causes serious burns and can melt or warp storage containers. When it is safe to move, decant or pump the cooled oil into a dedicated, sealable, food-grade storage container or a bulk waste-oil tank supplied by your collector. Keep the storage area tidy, bunded or on a spill tray where practical, and away from ignition sources, walkways and food-preparation zones. Clearly label containers as used cooking oil so they are never confused with fresh product or other chemicals. Allow oil to cool to a safe handling temperature before decanting.. Use sturdy, lidded, food-grade containers or a supplied bulk tank; do not overfill.. Keep containers sealed between uses to reduce odour and pest attraction.. Store away from heat, flames, walkways, drains and food-prep areas.. Label clearly and keep the surrounding area clean and free of spills.. Arranging licensed collection and recycling Used cooking oil is a valuable resource: licensed collectors recycle it into products such as biodiesel and stockfeed additives. Arrange a regular collection service with a reputable waste-oil company that operates under the relevant licence for your state or territory. Set a collection frequency that matches your output so containers never overflow. Keep the collection dockets or invoices as evidence of proper disposal, which supports both your food-safety records and any trade-waste or environmental obligations. Never tip used oil into a general waste bin, garden, stormwater drain or the ground, as this can pollute waterways and breach environmental rules. Requirements and licensed operators vary, so confirm with your state or territory environment regulator and local council. Grease traps and arrestors: how they work A grease trap (also called a grease arrestor or grease interceptor) is a chamber fitted between your kitchen wastewater outlets and the sewer connection. As warm, greasy water flows in and slows down, fats and oils float to the top while food solids settle to the bottom, allowing cleaner water to pass through to the sewer. Most commercial kitchens that discharge FOG are required to install and maintain one as a condition of their trade-waste agreement with the water authority. The trap must be correctly sized for your kitchen's flow and the type of cooking you do. Undersized or overloaded traps let grease escape into the sewer, defeating their purpose and risking a trade-waste breach. Connect fixtures such as fryers, woks, pot sinks, combi ovens and floor wastes as required.. Do not connect toilets or, generally, dishwashers unless your authority specifies otherwise.. Keep the sizing appropriate to your menu and flow; upgrade if you expand cooking.. Fit strainers or baskets in sinks to capture food solids before they reach the trap.. Servicing and cleaning your grease trap A grease trap only works if it is pumped out and cleaned before it fills. As grease and solids accumulate, the effective volume shrinks and FOG starts passing through to the sewer or backing up into the kitchen. Your water authority usually sets a required pump-out frequency, or bases it on how full the trap gets; a common trigger point in industry guidance is servicing before the combined grease and solids reach around a quarter of the trap's depth. Use a licensed liquid-waste contractor for pump-outs and keep the service records. Avoid dosing the trap with enzymes, bacteria or detergents to 'dissolve' grease unless your authority approves it, because this can simply push emulsified FOG into the sewer. Confirm your specific pump-out schedule and any additive rules with your water authority. Everyday practices that keep grease out of drains The cheapest grease to deal with is the grease that never enters the drain. Scrape and dry-wipe plates, pans and trays into the general waste or food-organics bin before washing. Fit and empty sink strainers so food solids are captured. Pour cooled fat and oil into your used-oil container, not the sink. Wipe up spills promptly to prevent slips and pest attraction. Train all kitchen staff on these habits and include oil and grease handling in your cleaning schedule and induction. Consistent front-line practice reduces pump-out frequency, lowers the risk of blockages, and protects your trade-waste standing. Dry-wipe and scrape cookware into bins before it reaches the sink.. Keep sink strainers in place and empty them into general or organics waste.. Decant cooled oil straight into the used-oil container.. Clean floor wastes and grease-bearing areas on a set schedule.. Include FOG handling in staff induction and daily cleaning duties.. Records, compliance and who to check with Keep documentation that shows you are disposing of oil and servicing your grease trap responsibly: used-oil collection dockets, grease-trap pump-out reports, and your trade-waste agreement. These records support inspections by council environmental health officers and help demonstrate compliance with your water authority. Trade-waste rules, grease-trap sizing, pump-out frequencies and licensed collectors differ between states, territories and individual water authorities, so this guide is general information only. Confirm the specific requirements that apply to your premises with your local council and your water or trade-waste authority, and treat any legal questions as matters to verify with the regulator rather than assume. Checklist: Used-oil containers are food-grade, sealed, labelled and not overfilled.. Oil storage area is clean, away from heat and walkways, and spill-protected.. A licensed waste-oil collection service is booked at a suitable frequency.. Collection dockets and invoices are filed as records.. Grease trap is correctly sized and connected to the right fixtures.. Grease trap is pumped out on schedule by a licensed contractor, with reports kept.. Sink strainers are fitted and emptied; cookware is dry-wiped before washing.. Staff are trained on FOG handling and it is part of the cleaning schedule.. Common mistakes: Pouring oil down the sink with hot water or detergent, believing it will flush away.. Overfilling used-oil containers so they spill and attract pests.. Skipping or delaying grease-trap pump-outs until the trap overflows or backs up.. Tipping used oil into general waste bins, gardens or stormwater drains.. Relying on enzyme or bacteria dosing instead of physically removing grease.. Failing to keep collection dockets and pump-out reports for inspections..